A conventional hydraulic system includes a pump that draws low-pressure fluid from a tank, pressurizes the fluid, and makes the pressurized fluid available to multiple different actuators for use in moving the actuators. In this arrangement, a speed of each actuator can be independently controlled by selectively throttling (e.g., restricting) a flow of the pressurized fluid from the pump into each actuator. For example, to move a particular actuator at a high speed, the flow of fluid from the pump into the actuator is restricted by only a small amount. In contrast, to move the same or another actuator at a low speed, the restriction placed on the flow of fluid is increased. Although adequate for many applications, the use of fluid restriction to control actuator speed can result in flow losses that reduce an overall efficiency of a hydraulic system.
An alternative type of hydraulic system is known as a meterless hydraulic system. A meterless hydraulic system generally includes a pump connected in closed-loop fashion to a single actuator or to a pair of actuators operating in tandem. During operation, the pump draws fluid from one chamber of the actuator(s) and discharges pressurized fluid to an opposing chamber of the same actuator(s). To move the actuator(s) at a higher speed, the pump discharges fluid at a faster rate. To move the actuator with a lower speed, the pump discharges the fluid at a slower rate. A meterless hydraulic system is generally more efficient than a conventional hydraulic system because the speed of the actuator(s) is controlled through pump operation as opposed to fluid restriction. That is, the pump is controlled to only discharge as much fluid as is necessary to move the actuator(s) at a desired speed, and no throttling of a fluid flow is required.
An exemplary meterless hydraulic system is disclosed in a technical document titled “Test Bed 1—Heavy Mobile Equipment” by Zimmerman et al. presented in the Jun. 14, 2010 annual meeting of the National Science Foundation. In this document, a meterless hydraulic system is described that has a multi-actuator circuit. The hydraulic system includes an over-center, variable displacement pump connected in closed-loop fashion to a travel motor and a hydraulic cylinder. Isolation valves are associated with both the travel motor and the hydraulic cylinder to allow sequential operation of the two actuators. Pairing of multiple actuators with a single pump helps to reduce a number of pumps required for the hydraulic system.
Although the meterless hydraulic system of the technical document described above discloses a multi-actuator circuit, the system may still be less than optimal. In particular, the system does not provide for simultaneous use of the travel motor and hydraulic cylinder, much less simultaneous use with independent speed control or simultaneous use with reversing actuation directions.
The hydraulic system of the present disclosure is directed toward solving one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.